Fight against tobacco epidemic reaches critical stage: Report

The just released Tobacco Atlas says the world is in the grips of a tobacco epidemic and stresses prompt action to contain it.

The atlas, which provides updated global information on tobacco consumption, says the contagion has reach at “a critical stage”.

Tobacco use in all forms is more harmful than previously thought, driving up health problems, premature death, poverty, social injustice, and environmental degradation.

It also finds that the tobacco industry is committing unprecedented resources to litigate, threaten, and interfere with efforts to introduce, implement, and enforce tobacco control.

In 2013, tobacco industry profits touched more than $44.1 billion at the cost of 6.3 million deaths, which it finds equivalent to around $7,000 for each death caused by tobacco.

“Governments must be bolder and more innovative to counter the rising burden of tobacco and the industry’s aggressive broadening of its tactics to subvert regulation and prevent progress,” the Atlas says.

The fifth edition of this Tobacco Atlas commonly known as ‘The Atlas’ and its companion website TobaccoAtlas.org were unveiled on Thursday by the American Cancer Society and World Lung Foundation at the 16th World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Abu Dhabi. 

It graphically details the scale of the tobacco epidemic, the harmful influence of tobacco on health, poverty, social justice, and the environment.

It also details the progress made in tobacco control and the latest products and tactics being deployed by the industry to protect its profits and delay and derail tobacco control.

Data contained in The Atlas has been gathered from multiple sources and validated to ensure it presents a holistic and accurate picture of tobacco and tobacco control across the globe.

“There is a perception that we know everything about tobacco and the harm it causes, but the truth is that every edition of The Tobacco Atlas reveals something new about the industry, its tactics and the real harm it causes,” said Peter Baldini, Chief Executive Officer, World Lung Foundation.

“Our challenge, as a global community interested in health and development, is to raise awareness, to bring new voices to the table, to encourage governments to implement comprehensive tobacco control measures as quickly as possible, and to help them stand firm against industry threats and interference”.

The Atlas has portrayed a grim picture of Bangladesh, as more than 92,000 people die each year because of tobacco-related diseases, and over 164,000 children and 25 million adults continue to use tobacco each day.

“Comprehensive tobacco control policies, covering all forms of tobacco use, would reduce the death toll from tobacco, which otherwise would grow with each passing year”.

It compared the dangers to tobacco users on product packaging in Bangladesh with best practiced country Australia.

Australia imposed graphic warning labels and plain packaging while tobacco industries continue to print attractive packages with text warning in Bangladesh.

A new law had been passed two years back with the provision of printing pictorial warning on the packages, but it is yet to be put into practice.

The Atlas, however, found strong tobacco control laws had led to a reduction in smoking around the world, but much remained to be done. 

“The increase in tobacco users in the world’s most populous countries is outpacing the global impact of tobacco control. There are now over 1 billion smokers in the world”.

The Atlas finds industry tactics are creating “a future of missed opportunity to improve global health, wealth, and equality”.